The Oyo State House of Assembly has called on relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) in the state to begin the enforcement and implementation of the state’s Child Rights Law, 2006, to ensure safe sexual and reproductive health practices among teenagers.
The call was contained in a motion moved by the lawmaker representing Ogbomoso North State Constituency, Hon. Olawumi Oladeji, during plenary, on Tuesday.
The lawmaker also called on parents and other stakeholders to provide necessary support and help for teenagers who are victims of unsafe sexual and reproductive health practice in order to improve their health and general well-being.
Presenting the motion on, Stemming the Tide of Teenage Sexual And Reproductive Health Challenge Through Health Information Education Communication, Hon. Oladeji stated that unsafe sexual and reproductive health practices in Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole, has negated goals 3 and 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals, as proposed by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015.
She said the provisions focused on ensuring good health and well-being as well as promoting life-long, learning opportunities for all and achieving gender equality and empowerment of women and girls.
The lawmaker called for deliberate and conscious effort towards engendering healthy and safe sexual and reproductive health practices among teenagers and young adults by local, national and international agencies.
Oladeji, who is the Chairman, Women Affairs and Social Inclusion, disclosed that the alarming rate of unsafe sexual and reproductive health practices among teenagers in Oyo State is not only increasing, teenage pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases, it has also led to increase in the rate of school drop outs.
She identified inadequate access to health information, lack of adequate education on sexual and reproductive health practices, among others, as major factors responsible for the practice.
The lawmaker, therefore called for progressive health information, communication and education programmes to sensitise teenagers in the state on safe sexual and reproductive health practices.
While passing the resolutions, the House and the Speaker of the Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, urged the Executive Arm of government, through the ministries of Education, Science and Technology, Youth and Sports and Health, to embark on progressive health information communication and education programmes, aimed at informing and educating teenagers in the state on safe sexual and reproductive health practices.
Ogundoyin urged them to integrate and prioritise sex education in school curriculums to keep teenagers adequately informed about sexual and reproductive issues and establish Health information and Communication Centres with qualified and relevant personnel and resources to provide appropriate support and counselling for teenagers who require support.
He also charged them to partner with international organisations working in the area of sexual and reproductive health education for necessary professional support.
